Pratiksha Apurv


Pratiksha Apurv is a well-known contemporary Indian painter based in Pune (Maharastra). Born into the family of world renowned spiritual master OSHO, Pratiksha created her own niche in contemporary Indian art within a short span of time. Her paintings have been exhibited in several cities across the country, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Chandigarh, Goa, Kolkata, Agartala and Lucknow. A prominent op-ed writer and columnist, Pratiksha recently authored a book, “The Mystic and Her Colours” which was published by Times Group.

In 2016, Pratiksha won the National Award for her painting titled Cosmic Balance for the year 2015-16. The Award was conferred by Lalit Kala Akademi, under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. In a historically unprecedented occasion in the arena of Indian art, Pratiksha's Mystical Moments- a series of paintings was inaugurated at Rashtrapati Bhawan Museum by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 25th of July, 2016. The occasion was graced by President Shri Pranab Mukherjee; Vice Shri President Hamid Ansari, Chief Justice of India, Lok Sabha Speaker, Council of Ministers and other distinguished dignitaries.

Her works based on meditation popularly known as meditative art, witnessed a revival following the launch of her first painting series titled Spiritual Odyssey in 2007, which was inaugurated by former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. During his formal address, he congratulated Pratiksha for her paintings with these words: "Pratiksha, I would like to bow to you. I was not aware of your talent and did not know the quantum of work that you have created. Your creations are thought provoking. Please continue your search (Sadhna)."

Inaugurating her show at Ahmedabad in March 2010, the then Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Narendra Modi during his formal address spoke about Pratiksha saying- “when I met Pratiksha, Just out of curiosity, I asked her whether she has had any education or training in painting. Pratiksha told me, she never had any formal training. It was her inner journey which steered her into the world of creativity. I never got the privilege to meet OSHO. When he came to Ahmedabad, I was small child, but I distinctly remember that he was here. With Pratiksha’s art at least I can savour his vision. This experience cannot be described in words but I can only say that today I enjoyed his blessings.Pratiksha not only created these paintings, but also put life in her canvases. She infused life in the paintings through her Sadhna. Her artworks are amalgamation of knowledge, creativity, faith and Sanskar, and I am sure people will learn and enjoy the message”.The same year, her painting titled Whirling was selected by noted Sufi scholar and author, Sultan Shahin as the cover for his book titled-‘Introducing New Age Islam’. The book was released and widely circulated during the UN Human Rights Commission meeting in Geneva in 2010. The same year, a book titled- ‘Indian Artist- an Introduction’ released by LLC Inc, USA about prominent India painter’s have dedicated a chapter on Pratiksha and her paintings.

Selections of a few paintings were also prominently featured in the renowned author Vikram Chopra’s magnum opus ‘Shakespeare: the Indian Icon,’ published by the Readers Paradise in 2011. This book was also separately released internationally also.

In March 2012, about thirty four of her paintings from her collection were selected by ICCR, under the Ministry of External Affairs, Govt of India, for their magazine ‘Indian Horizon’- A special edition that cantered on the message of Vedanta and Swami Vivekananda. This also included a special edit portraying her paintings. She was also a member of jury comprising of prominent personalities of the country for prestigious 'Swedish Innovations - Indian Interpretations' photo contest that was organised by Embassy of Sweden in August 2012 at New Delhi. Pratiksha is also on the jury of several government organisations. The jury comprises of eminent artists and top bureaucrats for procurements of artworks and installations for government institutions.

In 2013, ten of Pratiksha’s paintings titled ‘Divine Art’ were selected and presented for the ‘Soul of Asia’ section of the 44th International Film Festival of India (IFFI). The festival was held from 20th to 30thNovember, in Goa. The painting exhibition was inaugurated jointly by Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Manish Tiwari and Hollywood star Susan Sarandon. The 11-day long festival also witnessed the screening of a film titled: ‘Master of the Masters’ which featured twenty two paintings of Pratiksha. While inaugurating the show Susan Sarandon said of her paintings: “In the long history of art there have been quite a few definitions of contemporary paintings and its purpose in our life. The most surprising are the ones that tell us the story of inner journey by opening up a huge cache of subjects, and supplementing the revelations on canvas with spiritual experiences in life. When I met Pratiksha at the International Film Festival of India in Goa in 2013, I was delighted to see the breath-taking candour of her personality and its reflection on her paintings”.

Through her paintings Pratiksha has tried to visually depict the vision of Osho’s as she understood it. In India, knowledge has often manifested itself and transmitted through art, and the two have generally been an inseparable part of our cultural fabric, enriching us multi-dimensionally. Her paintings are infused with a distinct flavour that seems to draw the discerning viewer into a certain space of silence and experience. The paintings are themselves an outer expression, and reflect personal inner meditative experience.

Pratiksha has completed thirteen solo exhibitions of paintings which have been showcased across the country for the art lovers. In the past sixteen years, she has produced four important series on meditative art, namely- Spiritual Odyssey, Reflections, Divine Art and Mystical Moments- these have been instrumental in reviving the ancient Indian meditative art, also known as Objective art in the western world.

Pratiksha’s efforts seem to present a comprehensive document of experiential spiritual painting. Moments of meditation and deep experience of silence can be felt through the body of her work on canvas, depicted through vibrant colours, designs, lines and strokes that reflect a unique relationship, between its creator and her canvas. According to her, it is important to be in harmony with both the inner and the outer world. Material and Spiritual worlds can be bridged through meditation, and this has always been the vision of Osho. Her paintings are an attempt to express the inexpressible, and to offer a glimpse of ‘what is’ to a potential seeker, regardless of their religion, creed or path.

Her paintings have been covered widely by the mainstream media in more than 400 articles by various newspapers and magazines, unleashing discussions upon meditative art. Apart from the print media, the broadcast media which include the National Broadcaster Doordarshan, Lok Sabha TV, All India Radio, and private satellite channels like Zee, Sahara, NDTV, Radio, Kannada TV and Gujarati channels, have covered more than twenty shows in different formats like-live shows, talk shows, and news items about her art.

Prof. Shailendra Kushwaha, former Dean and art historian, and former advisor of MS University, Vadodara, Gujarat, is doing research on her paintings. Prof. Kushwaha feels that her paintings could be considered as new wave with in the modern contemporary Indian art. His research work will also be published separately in a book form.

Born in Madhya Pradesh, Central India on 26th February, 1964, Pratiksha was initiated into Sannyas at her own request by Osho, her Uncle, when she was only eleven years of age, while living with her family in the Osho commune in Pune, Maharashtra. Amongst her childhood memories at the commune, she recalls an occasion when she was gifted a box of sketch pen and encouraged to draw by Osho. Although, she started painting in 2003, her first exhibition was formally inaugurated in 2007.

Her mystic works on canvas, tells the story of a seeker’s life. There is something about her spirituality, unique to her painting, which puts Pratiksha in a different league from most contemporary painters. Her decision to bid adieu to a successful career in fashion designing, and to embark on an inner journey, to eventually present it on canvas is indeed a rare and unique achievement for a woman in today’s world.


THEMES DEPICTED:
In the last seventeen years since the launch of her Solo Exhibition 'Spiritual Odyssey' Pratiksha has worked on various aspects of Meditative Art. Some of her themes include: Mindfulness, Oneness, Seven Energy Centres, Seven Layers of Consciousness, Five Senses, Sixth Sense and Beyond Senses. She has also done a series on Tantra, Yoga, Five Elements and Optical illusion. Although, volumes have been written on the subject of 'Life and Death', Pratiksha has tried to depict this important subject through Colours. Her paintings also reflect the messages of Gautam Buddha, Krishna, Meera, Kabir, Nanak, Shiva, Sufis, Jesus, Islam, Zen and the Upanishads.


SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
March2018, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, Inaugurated by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan
July 2016, Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum, New Delhi, Inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Nov.2013 International Film Festival of India, INOX, Panjim, Goa, Inaugurated by Hollywood Star Susan sarandon
April 2013, Punjab Kala Bhavan, Chandigarh, Inaugurated by Governor Shivraj Patil
July 2011, ICCR Art Gallery, New Delhi
Nov-Dec 2010, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, Inaugurated by Virbhadra Singh, the then Union Steel Minister and present Chief Minister, Himachal Pradesh
April 2010, Allure Art Gallery Vadodara, Gujarat
March 2010, L&P Hutheesing Visual Art Gallery, Inaugurated by Narendra Modi, the then Chief Minister of Gujarat and Present Prime Minister of India
Jan. 2009, Lalit Kala Akademi Gallery, Chennai
Dec.2008, Chitrakala Parishath Gallery, Bangalore
March 2008, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, Inaugurated by late Brajesh Mishra, former NSA and Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Vajpayee
Sep. 2007, NCPA art Gallery, Mumbai, Inaugurated by Nita Ambani
Feb.2007, AIFACS Gallery, New Delhi, Inaugurated by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee


OTHER EXHIBITIONS:
2016 National exhibition at Lalit kala Akademi, Lucknow
2012 National Exhibition at Nazrul Kalashetra, Agartala, Tripura
2011 National Exhibition at Lalit Kala Akademi, Chennai
2010 National exhibition at ICCR gallery, Kolkata
2009 July: Group exhibition, Open Palm court Gallery, India Habitat Center, New Delhi
2009 March: All India annual art exhibition AIFACS, New Delhi


COLLECTIONS:
Several of Pratiksha’s paintings are in Public and Private Collections in India and Abroad.

 

BOOKS:
‘The Mystic and Her Colours’, combines two genres-painting and writing to illustrate Pratiksha's journey. The book was launched by world-renowned Film maker Vishal Bhardwaj and Singer Rekha Bhardwaj on 5th September 2018 in Mumbai.


PERIODICAL PUBLICATIONS:
(i) Interviews of the Artist:
“The Meditative artist”,-The Hindu, March 2018
“Strokes of Mysticism”- The Pioneer, July28, 2016
“Giving colours to Osho’s teachings through meditative art”- March10, 2016
‘Reinterpreting Osho’isms’- Society December 2015
Parul: ‘Spirited Expressions’- The Indian Express, April 7, 2013
Kamini Mehta: ‘Osho’s teachings find a Canvas’- Times of India, April 9 ,2013
NavleenLakhi: ‘Spectrum of Spirituality’- Hindustan Times, April 2013
MadhurTankha: ‘Reflecting the Journey in Solitude’- The Hindu, 1st December, 2010
CSS Latha: ‘Hues that Heal’- Savvy, May, 2010
‘Reflections in Colour’- Marie Claire, November 2010
YashicaDutt: ‘Voids of Colour’- And Magazine, 2009
JyothiRaghuram: ‘Osho Philo in Brush Strokes’-The New Indian Express, Dec 12, 2008
SuchitraIyer: ‘Under Osho’s influence’- October 2007

ii) Over 400 articles about Pratiksha's paintings have appeared in different newspapers, magazines, and websites around the world.

iii)Articles written by Pratiksha:
Pratiksha regularly writes articles for ‘The Speaking Tree’, a weekly edition of the Times of India Group. Her writings are about her paintings and her inner experiences.Pratiksha’s first book ‘The Mystic and Her Colours’ has been published by the Times Group Books. It was launched by world-renowned Film maker Vishal Bhardwaj and Singer Rekha Bhardwaj on 5th September 2018 in Mumbai.

“Dance like Shiv” August 2023
“Go beyond rituals to connect with the Divine” November 2022
“Unlike knowledge, wisdom is life-nourishing” October 2022
“Go beyond the Mind” June 2022
“Let us welcome the Light and Awareness in life” November 2021
“Journeying within” December 2020
“Superconcious Universe” November 2020
“Let’s live a happier life in Gratitude” September 2020
“Everything flows nothing stays” August 2020
“Nature Nurtures Our Soul” July 2020
“Yoga is inner communion” June2020
“Live A Playful Life” May 2020
“Radiance of the ultimate peak of consciousness” May 2020
“Timeless Bliss” March 2020
“The being of infinite love and kindness” February 2020
“A leap into the Divine” January 2020
“The Soundless sound” December 2019
“You’re what you eat” November 2019
“Every day is Deepavali” October 2019
“Stop Being Mechanical” September 2019
“You can be a Buddha” August 2019
“Find yourself in aloneness” July 2019
“The magic of Zazen” June 2019
“Soar high like the Homa bird” May 2019
“Live without the mind” March 2019
“The inner light” February 2019
“Message of the cross” December2018
“Beyond Time” November 2018
“Cosmic vibrancy” October 2018
“Trust is an illusion” July 2018
“Going Beyond Forecasts” May 2018
“Meditative Strokes” March 2018
“Making the child too ambitious is dangerous” March 2018
“The Divine Yogin” March 2018
“My wake- up call” February 2018
“The New Dawn” January 2018
“Live This Moment” December 2017
“Ek Onkar Satnam” October 2017
“Ignite the spark” October 2017
“Too Scared to let go” September 2017
“Nothing, But Supreme Being” July 2017
“Jump into the Abyss” June 2017
“The grand witness” April 2017
“Drop the frame” March 2017
“Sound of silence” January 2017
“Energy Travels” October 2016
“Cultivate Compassion” August 2016
“Master your MOODS” July 2016
“Striking Balance” May 2016
“Master’s Grace” March 2016
“Dance of the Dervish” January 2016
“Giving Thanks” September 2015
“Dance of surrender” August 2015
“Cosmic Balance” June 2015
“Journey to Supreme Bliss” March 2015
“Beyond the Senses” November 2014
“Indivisible Whole” September 2014
“Becoming Centered” June2014
“The State of Rejoicing” March 2014
“Diamond in the Lotus” November 2013
“End the Life Cycle” August 2013
“Treasure Trove in You” June 2013
“Totality is the Key” April 2013
“Empty your cup” January 2013
“Intense love” October 2012
“Rainbow Therapy” March 2012

Contacts:
Phone: +919899020141
Email: pratiksha1964@gmail.com
Website: www.pratikshaart.com
Address: 401 Casa Jewel,
Off, Mangaldas Road,
Pune -411001 Maharashtra, Bharat